Mark (Mallick Brothers 3)

They could start again with their real names, get real jobs, make real lives. And, quite frankly, maybe the best place in the world for them to do that was Navesink Bank. It was so jam-packed with crime that the cops wouldn't even think to suspect them of anything. And even if they did, the right contacts in the NBPD and DA's office and they were guaranteed to get off scot-free.

It was the ideal solution.

And I wasn't just saying that because I wanted to take her ass back to my bed for a month straight, I wanted to see her in my kitchen cooking for me, tending a garden, calling me on my bullshit, meeting my family.

I was saying it because it was the damn truth.

They could make it work.

Now it was just up to Scotti to convince them.

I wondered how much of a fight her brothers would put up.TWELVEScotti"Stop right there," Rush cut me off as I finally forced the words out of my mouth after they all came clamoring in right when I finished the eggs, the toast popping up as if to announce it was time to eat. They had all exchanged words with Mark and with me about Mark.

But eventually, their stomachs shut them up and got them around the table where I laid out the idea that Mark had given me the night before. You know, before the amazing sex, then cuddling and sleep, the mind-blowing session in the tub.

I had never had a man inside me without protection before. First, because, well, STDs. Second, not all birth control is fool-proof, and I did not want some fool's baby; I figured my chances were below zero using condoms and the Ring. Third, that just seemed like a level of intimacy meant to be saved for someone special.

I had never had someone special before.

Mark was special.

What other man would track you down, argue with you, give you amazing orgasms, create alternate plans for you, and give you hope?

"What?" I asked, feeling my stomach tightening, knowing I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up with them.

"I said stop right there. I don't need to know anymore," Rush said, reaching for the orange juice. "I'm in. Navesink Bank was the shit."

I was pretty sure I was hearing things. You know, like what I wanted to hear.

"I mean that shack is not a fucking option," Atlas went on.

"And we need to find some jobs. I mean we have the stash from the jobs we've been doing for a decade, but cut five ways, it won't last any of us long." That was Nixon.

And I was pretty sure at this point that there was a gas leak in the cabin and I was hallucinating before I dropped dead.

Wouldn't be a terrible way to go- my brothers all agreeing with me, Mark beside me, hand on my thigh, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

Pretty nice.

"Sounds like it's unanimous, kid," Kingston added, drawing my attention.

"What?" I asked, feeling completely blindsided by their reaction.

"Looks like after we crash here for a while, we can head back to Navesink Bank and see about settling down."

"I mean, we'll need to look over our shoulders for a while, but maybe it will work," Nixon said.

"I didn't want to go to fucking Russia anyway," Rush added. "It gets cold as fuck there."

Completely thrown-off, I turned to Mark, my brows drawn together. "Are they all agreeing?"

"This would be my 'told you so' moment, right?" he asked, smile going devilish. "I fucking told you so, babe."

"You know," Nixon said, pointing a corner of toast at Mark, "maybe he's not so bad. I think he could fit in here."

"And thanks to you fucks," Mark said, perfectly at-ease calling my brothers fucks already, "she is gonna have no problem dishing it out to my brothers."

"The loansharks," Atlas said. If I wasn't mistaken, he did so with interest. I would have to have a talk with him later, alone. We were not trading one illegal business in for another. If we were going to do this, we were going straight. Case closed. I didn't care if that meant they had to pump gas or sling diner burgers for a living.

"Enforcers. But we do a lot more business shit now than we do enforcing."

And then there was about an hour spent discussing the various "business shit" the Mallick men were involved in. Some connections were made. Some ideas were punted around.

All this happened while I cleared the table and washed dishes. Because, apparently, it was 'man-talk' time. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. And, quite frankly, I was too happy to see them all getting along with Mark to ruin it.

So once I was done cleaning, I quietly exited out the back door and set to the garden. "I'm not talking to you, Nugget. That was a disgusting mess this morning. I am going to figure out how you keep escaping and then you are going to need to spend your time with your birdie mama."